A Child's Hurt
by Ezmerai
Summary: A six-year-old Estel, feeling out of place in Rivendell, runs away. His family must find the small human before he comes to any harm. Can Estel accept the fact that he is loved in Imladris?
1. Departure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings! No matter how much I wish I do, it's not going to happen… *starts to sob in a corner*. Anyways, it's all Tolkien's. *Sniffles***

**A/N: This is my first story. It is just a bit of hurt/comfort. If you see any mistakes please tell me. Also, tell me if you like it! I really appreciate reviews! I accept criticism, but if you are just going to be mean, or insult me, bug off. Don't bother. One more thing, Estel is around 5 or 6 years old, and, for the sake of the story, Gilraen died with Arathorn. Alrighty then! Please review and on to the story! **

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A Child's Hurt  
Chapter 1: Departure

It had been an exhausting day and all Elrond, lord of Rivendell, wanted to do was sleep. He had spent the afternoon hours trying to negotiate a reasonable trading plan with the neighboring dwarves. Key word: trying. The dwarvish diplomats were as stubborn as their reputation told. 'And I get to do it all over again tomorrow' Elrond mused to himself wryly. 'Why do I even bother with the dwarves? I should really just stick to _edan_. They are much easier to manipulate. Especially with the _look_. He grinned at that.

As he passed his foster son's room, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. That normally wouldn't have been unusual, as his youngest preferred to have his door slightly open. He was still coping with the nightmares that had accompanied his arrival to Rivendell after his parent's death. The dreams deeply frightened him, and he often sought refuge in his elven brothers' room.

As he approached the door, he heard two soft, anxious voices coming from the room.

"Where would he have gone?" Lord Elrond recognized the voice as his oldest son, Elladan.

"I know no more than you do," Elrohir replied irritably.

"We should find _Ada_. He needs to know." Elladan reasoned.

"Needs to know what?" Elrond asked as he entered the room, taking in his surroundings. The large bed was empty, and his twin sons were standing in the middle of the room, looking at him with slight surprise at his silent entrance. They both looked slightly paler than normal, their faces tight with worry. In his hand, Elladan clutched a piece of paper. "Where's Estel?" Elrond asked.

Neither twin responded. Instead, Elladan handed his father the paper. Elrond scanned it quickly, paling visibly. He read it three more times, confirming what he had just read.

_Dear __Ada __ Hir-nin,_

_I wish to thank you for all you have given me during my stay at Rivendell. I do not deserve it. All I ever do is get in the way. I never seem to be able to do anything right and I realize that now. And that is why I must leave now. Please forgive me, and give my love to Dan and Ro and Glorfy and Restor._

_~Estel_

**_(A/N: I know, I know! It's the middle of the chapter. Sorry, but I need to clarify this. In the letter, 'Ada' is supposed to be crossed out and replaced with 'hir-nin'. Please don't hate me *ducks an especially large vase that was aimed for my head*. Well then..._**

Elrond just stood there, staring at the paper blankly. A single tear rolled down his cheek. The tear fell on the paper leaving a single wet mark on the letter. Lord Elrond wasn't sure what hurt most. The fact that his youngest son had run away, that he had not accepted him as a father, or maybe it was that Estel felt that he wasn't loved.

"_Ada_?" Elrohir pleaded softly. "Please, _Ada._ We have to find him. He could be hurt."

Elrohir's words snapped Elrond out of his trance, and into action. He carefully folded the letter and placed it safely into his robe. "Elladan, go inform Glorfindel of Estel's disappearance. Also, tell Erestor that I cannot make it to the meetings tomorrow. Elrohir, go get the horses saddled. I am going to go pack whatever else we may need. Don't forget to fetch your weapons, and we will meet in the stables in fifteen minutes. Understood?"

"Yes _Ada_." Elladan and Elrohir responded in unison.

"Good. Quickly now." Elrond encouraged. Elladan and Elrohir both sprinted off to complete their assigned tasks. Elrond stayed in the room a while longer, looking out the window. It had started to rain, and it showed no signs of lessening.

Elrond looked defiantly at the sky. 'And by Elbereth, I _will_ find my son!'

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**Translations:**

_edan- _human

_Ada-_ father

_hir-nin- _my lord

**A/N: I am not sure whether I should keep writing, so please review and tell me what you think. And as I said before, this is my first story, so don't be **_**too**_** harsh. Once again, I apologize for the interruption in the middle of the chapter. Wont happen again... probably.  
**


	2. The Search

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings… unfortunately. Oh well!**

**A/N: I was actually really surprised how many people started reading my story. I had almost 30 people read it within the first 2 hours of publishing it! I was so happy! *Tackles readers, giving them each big hugs* I also want to thank all of the people who decided to review and/or follow the story! It really helps inspire me to keep writing. Please, please, please, please review! So, at first, I was planning on making this a short fic, where Estel runs away, Elrond finds him, Estel finally realizes how much he is loved by his family, they all return home, everyone is relieved, blah blah blah, the end. But then I realized how common that is… So now, I'm not going to do that. It still isn't going to be a very long story, but it will be longer than I was planning. Also, the chapters are going to be longer than the first one. That was just to see if I should keep writing. Wow, I just realized how long this note is… Silly me, you guys want to read the story, not some insane person's ramblings… *smiles happily at glaring readers* Well, here it is! Read and review! PLEASE REVIEW *starts begging* Please, please, P-L-E-A-S-E!**

A Child's Hurt  
Chapter 2: The Search

As Elrond made his way through the rain to the stables, he saw Elrohir holding two of the horses he had prepared for the search. When Elrohir saw his father approaching he called out softly to his brother. Elladan came out of a stall leading his pure white stallion, Zaphira. Elrond hurried into the shelter of the stables and greeted his sons with a stiff nod. Elladan mounted his horse, anxiously awaiting the others to do the same. Elrond grasped the reins of his own horse; A large, white mare, dotted with black, leopard-like spots. As Elrond mounted Falmarin, Elrohir mounted Hiswe, his dappled gray mare.

"Did you talk to Glorfindel?" Elrond asked.

"Yes _Ada_. He gives us his luck. He also said that he will send a search party if we have not returned with Estel by dawn." Elladan responded gravely.

Lord Elrond nodded briskly, and turned his horse around to face the open stable door. At an unspoken signal, the three elves urged their horses forward, intent on finding the young human, and bringing him home.

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Estel walked through the forest, kicking up leaves as he walked. He had run for the better part of the night, trying to put as much distance between himself and Rivendell as possible. He didn't belong there. No one seemed to like him, besides Dan and Ro of course. But sometimes, even they got annoyed with him. He seemed to disappoint everyone there. Lord Elrond just seemed to try and avoid him entirely. 'Why can't I just be an elf? Then they would accept me…' Estel started to feel hot tears forming in his eyes, but wiped them away furiously, battering himself for showing any kind of weakness.

As the rain started to fall, Estel decided he didn't want to get drenched. He made his way through the forest, looking for a suitable shelter. Eventually, he came by an old oak tree. It had a large hollow trunk, with enough space inside for a small human child to fit in. Estel gratefully climbed in, making the tree's former occupants scurry away. Sitting up, Estel reached into his badly packed travel bag, and pulled out a small cake. He had taken a few sweets from the dinner table that night, to take with him. He happily devoured the cake, and licked his fingers as he finished. Wiping his fingers on his tunic, Estel settled down in his tree trunk and fell asleep, unaware that the birds had become silent.

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Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir set off into the forest, trying to pick up Estel's trail. For a child of his age, he concealed his tracks incredibly well. But even so, with the keen eyesight of three elves, it did not take them very long to find his trail. As they made their way down the path, they were each engulfed in their own thoughts.

'This is all my fault. If I had just showed him that I cared, instead of pushing him away… He must hate me right now.' Elrond battered himself. The Lord of Rivendell glanced at his sons. They had their hoods thrown over their heads to give them some protection from the rain, but Elrond could still see the resolute look on their face. The kind of resolution that only appeared when one loved another. 'Do you have that resolution?' Asked that annoying little part in Elrond's brain that seemed intent on driving him insane. 'Of course I do!' The more 'sane' part of Elrond's brain retorted. 'Then why can't I show it?' Elrond pondered this.

It was Elladan who noticed. Elrond had been deep in thought, and Elrohir had been concentrating on following the trail.

Elladan stopped his horse abruptly, scanning the surrounding area. Elrond and Elrohir looked at him in surprise, before realizing why he had stopped. Now that they were paying attention, they felt it too. A foreboding sensation, depicting malice.

Elladan then voiced what had all passed through their heads, "Orcs."

* * *

Estel slept fitfully. The nightmares were back, and this time, there were no elven twin brothers to turn to. He woke abruptly, jerking upwards with a scream, hitting his head on an overhead branch as he did so. Squeezing his eyes, closed he stifled a cry. Estel held his head her he had hit it and waited for the white light to fade. Once it faded, Estel opened his eyes, and looked around. The sun was just making its way over the horizon. He had to get moving. The elves at hom-… at _Rivendell_, it wasn't his home anymore,would have undoubtedly noticed his absence by now.

Estel shivered from the cold. Being dressed in damp clothes on a cold morning was not the best combination. He looked in his bag for an overcoat, but found that everything in his bag was soaked as well. His mood darkened and he started grumbling about how bad his luck was. He reached in for some food, and was happy to find that he had actually packed an apple. Estel mood suddenly brightened as he took an enormous bite out of the juicy apple. 'It could be worse, I suppose. It could have been a pear.' By the stars, he _hated_ pears. After finishing the particularly delicious apple, Estel skipped down the path with the energy only a child possesses.

A few hours later, after becoming bored of his game of jumping in every pile of leaves that was unfortunate enough to come into his sight, Estel decided to turn his attention to the scenery. Being raised by elves, he was taught to appreciate nature. It was then that, for the first time, he noticed the birds were silent. 'That's odd… They are all probably just out hunting worms.' He smiled at the thought, and contributed no more thought to the matter. He later realized that may have been a mistake.

As the sun reached its highest point, Estel finally exited the forest. He found himself looking out into a beautiful flatland. A rather large hill blocked his view, but he was certain that, if he could find a vantage point, the plains would be visible for miles. Hill after hill after hill. He looked around to see if he could spot said vantage point. He brightened when he spotted a tree not too far away. It was a tall, ash tree. Estel hurried over to the tree, continuing cautiously when he realized that the tree was but a few yards from the edge of a ravine. The ravine itself was not very large. It looked to be no more than a dozen and a half feet high. Estel examined the tree, trying to figure out the best way to climb it. Eventually, he decided to take the direct approach and climb the trunk. He fell. In fact, he fell several times. But, he was a human six-year-old boy. In other words, or word: stubborn.

After many unsuccessful attempts, Estel finally managed to climb the tree, much to his great joy. He climbed as high as he could go, before deciding that the branched would not hold his weight. From his viewpoint, Estel could see for miles, until the horizon absorbed the hills. He looked on in wonder. 'The world sure is big. In all that space, there has to be somewhere I belong… I just have to find it.' Estel pondered this for a long time.

He sat peacefully in the tree, observing all the activity that happened below. Much to his delight, a nearby herd of deer passed just under his tree, oblivious that they were being watched. Estel didn't dare breathe as he watched the deer graze. It was then he heard a cry in the distance. A small fawn had fallen behind and was trying desperately to catch up. One of the nearby stags looked up at the feeble cry, and called back with an encouraging whistle. Estel watched in marvel as the stag left the herd to meet the fawn, who had fallen to the ground. The stag nudged the small creature, helping it to its feet. They then made their way back to the herd, which was waiting for them. As they merged back into the group, the deer moved off again, this time at a slower pace, as to not leave the fawn behind again.

Estel watched in disappointment as they left. He watched them until they passed over the brow of the hill, and he could no longer see them. 'I want to feel like that. I want to feel loved, and looked after…. I want to be found…' Estel slowly climbed down the tree, and, once he was a few feet from the ground, jumped the remaining distance. He settled himself down at the base of the tree. He looked at the sky, finding pictures out of the clouds. 'That one is a tree… and there's a leaf, over there. That one is a chicken, holding a sword, and attacking a… rock… and there… is... a.' Estel drifted into a doze, lulled by the soft wind, and the warm sun. It felt like he had only closed his eyes for a few minutes, but in reality he slept for a few hours. The sun was already setting in the sky. When he opened his eyes, he let out a terrified scream. There he was. Face to face with his worst nightmare. Orcs.

**A/N: Yeah… Sorry. Bit of a cliffy, huh? Well, I couldn't help it! It just happened. Don't blame me.. Even if it is entirely my fault. Heh heh heh. *Ducks a flower pot, and glares at the person who threw it* Anyways… I hope you still like the second chapter. I tried to make it longer than the first one. I will also try to make each point of view longer. Please review! I MUST know what you think! Was it the most horrible, awful, appalling story you ever read? Was it the most awesome, epic, breathtaking one you ever read (Which I doubt)? I need to know *maniacal gleam in eyes* Also, thank you again to all those who reviewed on the first chapter! If you did, I am putting all my replies at the end of the next chapter. (i.e If you reviewed chapter 1, my reply will be at the end of chapter 2) PLEASE REVIEW! It only takes a few seconds, and it warms my heart to know that people are reading my story! Until the next time, my lovely readers!**

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_Jasperslittlesister_: Thank you so much! You were the very first reviewer to this story! It made me so happy that someone -_actually- -read- _my story! As soon as you posted your review I started working on the second chapter.

_LalaithElerrina_: Thanks for taking the time to review! And as for whether he will be okay or not, I make no promises *evil smile*. Anyways, I'll be sure to check out your stories and thank you once again!

_Sandy-wmd_: I like them too thank you for encouraging me to keep writing! It helps keep me motivated!

_Someone_: Thanks! The backstory pretty much goes like this: Arathorn, Estel's birth father, is killed in an orc attack. Gilrain, Estel's mother, survives, but for the sake of the story, dies. The twins find Estel as a survivor of the attack and take him back home to Rivendell. He is raised there, but is haunted by the nightmares that return to him every night. He dreams about how the orcs slaughtered his family and such. So, yeah. Hope that clarifies a bit.

_Guest_: I had a lot of trouble writing the letter how a six-year-old would write it… So yes, let's just say that, being raised by elves, Estel is very intelligent for his age!

_GreyLynx_: Well met! Thank you so much I like them too. In this story, I am trying to portray how Elrond comes to show his love for Estel. I took your advice and added a small note in the story. I agree that It makes it less confusing and more dramatic.

_Sassyfriend_: Thank you! I am glad you like it! It is people who like the story and review that makes me want to keep writing.


	3. Save the Child!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings. Is it just me, or does that sound **_**really**_** familiar?….**

**A/N: I'm alive! I know… It's amazing. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been really busy. It's almost the end of the school year, so we have lots of things to do. Good news though! I got into summer school! That means extra credits for high school! Yay! But that also mean I won't be able to update as often, as I have 4-6 hours of work each day… *Runs away from raging readers* Gosh… *hides in a bush* Well, I should be safe for a bit… Also, this is not how Arathorn actually died. Just so you know. This chapter is going to be a bit shorter, focusing on how Estel came to Rivendell. Please understand that THIS IS NOT HOW IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED! Got it, get it, good. Thank you to everyone who reviewed the previous chapters! Here is the next part of the story. Yippee! Unfortunately this probably won't be a very long chapter, because I'm still very busy, and really tight on time… But I'll update again soon. I promise!**

A Child's Hurt  
Chapter 3: Save the Child!

Estel opened his eyes in terror. He opened his mouth to scream but no sound came out. Surrounding him was a group of orcs, about 15 in total. The orc directly in front of Estel sneered at the boy's fear. Estel cowered in the shadow of the creature.

"Take him alive. I want to know what a human is doing so close to elf land."

That was the last thing Estel heard before one of the orcs come up to him and hit him hard on the head with the hilt of his scimitar. Estel immediately blacked out. He dreamed of his parents.

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The alarm rang through the camp, followed by a gurgling shout of pain. Arathorn shot up at once, grabbing his sword. Gilraen, who had been visiting the camp for a few days, opened her eyes, startled.

"Arathorn?" Gilraen asked anxiously.

"Quickly, my love. Grab the child. You must leave now. Hurry!"

Doing as she was told, Gilraen grabbed her infant child. Aragorn gave a small cooing sound as he was picked up by his mother, not knowing that his entire life was about to turn upside down. "Arathorn what's happening?" Gilraen caught the urgency in Arathorn's eyes.

"We are under attack. You must leave as quickly as you can. Take Aragorn, and seek out Elrond. He will help you. Stay there until I come get you. Understood?" Arathorn's grey eyes bore into Gilraen's blue. Unable to speak, Gilraen simply nodded. Arathorn's gaze softened as he gazed lovingly at his family. Kissing Gilraen and Aragorn, Arathorn turned, drawing his sword. Taking a deep breath, he ran into the battle. Everywhere, there were cries of pain. Agonized shouts of pain echoed through the forest, as both orc and men fell.

Gilraen picked up a long knife that Arathorn had given her to protect herself with. Blinking away the tears that threatened to fall, Gilraen held her child close to her, and made her way through the camp.

A shout of pain reverberated through the camp. Gilraen stopped dead in her tracks. Arathorn. She turned to see Arathorn, her husband, the father of her child, shot with an arrow. He dropped to his knees, but continued fighting. He fought off several orcs, killing them with will aimed blows, but those blows faltered. The orcs took that opportunity, and overwhelmed him. Arathorn, son of Arador, heir of Isildur, had fallen.

Aragorn began to cry as if he sensed his father had died. At that moment, her maternal instincts kicked in and she fled. As she ran, she heard a small cry of pain to her right. Slowing, she recognized her friend, lying in the dirt.

Miril looked up in relief to see Gilraen standing over her. "Come, Miril. It is not safe to linger."

"Oh, Gilraen. It's such a relief to see you, I'm afraid you'll have to go without me. One of the orcs managed to cut my leg up rather badly… I'll just slow you down. And you have a child to think about. You must leave!" Miril gestured for her to hurry.

Gilraen simply smiled and helped Miril to her feet. "You know I could never just leave a person to be slaughtered."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Miril grinned ruefully. She hissed in pain as she put a bit of weight on her leg. "This isn't going to work. You need to leave!" Looking back, the camp was being swarmed with orcs. The rangers, though they were fighting with all the skill and bravery in the world, were dangerously outnumbered.

"I am NOT leaving without you." Gilraen eyes shone with a determination that would not be wavered. She wasn't about to let another loved one die so easily. Miril sighed in surrender, and allowed Gilraen to help her walk.

They didn't get very far when Miril cried out. She suddenly dropped like a dead weight. Only then did Gilraen realize that she was a dead weight. An arrow had embedded itself deep in Miril's back. Gilraen cried out in fear and shock. Her best friend, who she had known since they were small children, now lay dead in front of her. She looked up, grief-stricken, only to see the orc redrawing his bow and taking aim at her. Aragorn, sensing his mother's distress began to fuss.

Gilraen had failed. She had failed to save her friend, she had failed Arathorn, and worst of all, she had failed to protect her child. Her dear child. Tears welled in Gilraen's eyes. Now her child was about to die and it was all her fault. She knew she could no longer escape. Instead of trying, she took out her knife, and yelled out a bold battle cry. She charged the orc, but before she could get close enough to attack, the orc let his arrow loose. It flew straight through the air, and embedded itself in Gilraen's abdomen. Gilraen dropped to her knees, doubling over with pain. She looked up, and stared into the orc's cruel eyes. As she did so, her grip instinctively tightened around Estel. The orc drew another arrow, getting ready to take aim, but before he could do so, and arrow embedded itself directly between the orcs eyes. An Elven arrow.

"Gilraen! Are you alright?!" Gilraen recognized the voice to be that of Elladan.

'Thank the Valar.' Gilraen thought to herself.

Elladan stopped in his tracks as he ran toward her, and looked over Gilraen. What he saw tugged at his heart. He saw a pitiful woman; dirty, bloody, and grief-stricken. In her arms, she held a small child. In her abdomen, the arrow was still deeply embedded. Elrohir, upon seeing the devastating wound, made a move to remove the arrow, but before he could Gilraen stopped him.

"Leave it. It will soon be over. The tip was poisoned. I am already starting to feel the effects." Elrohir mournfully took her in his arms, allowing her to rest her tired body.

The two brothers nodded in understanding. "We heard you cry out earlier, so we came to help. We have been tracking the group of orcs for a while now. The rest of the patrol will finish the orcs off..." Elladan cursed softly "If only we had gotten here sooner…"

Gilraen smiled softly. "Nothing could have prevented what has occurred today…. And it w-was in no way your fault. R-remember that, dear ones... N-none of this… was y-your fault." Gilraen faltered and tried to breathe deeply in order to control herself.

"Gilraen, you must rest!" Elladan anxiously advised.

"No, I'll have plenty of time to… rest soon… I-I-I want y-you to… to t-take A-Aragorn w-with you b-back… to I-Imladris… H-he is now… t-the l-last of the heirs… of Isildur…" Gilraen struggled to stay conscious enough to speak.

The twins exchanged a shocked look. "Arathorn?" Gilraen said nothing. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to control the tears that were threating to overtake her. "So he has fallen…"

"E-E-lladan, Elrohir… t-this is not… y-your fault…" Gilraen said. "T-take Aragorn… K-keep him safe… He is all I h-have left… Please… please…"

Elladan gently took the child from his mother. Holding him carefully in his arms, he looked down at the child's face. He looked so much like his father.

"We will protect him with our lives. Rest assured. No harm will come to him while we still draw breath." Elrohir vowed and Elladan solemnly nodded his agreement.

"Thank you…. Thank you… t-thank you…" Now Gilraen sobbed openly, allowing her sorrow, grief, and relief to overcome her all at once. "Thank you…"

Those were the last words she spoke before she closed her eyes, and her soul left to join with Arathorn's. Elrohir felt a tear run down his cheek as he looked down onto the pale face. They had been very close to Gilraen. She had always been there after their mother died. Now they could not even repay that debt. No, they could. They would protect her child with their life. They would raise him, teach him, and train him.

Elrohir gently laid down her body, and slowly stood up.

An elf of the patrol approached them cautiously; aware of what had just transpired. "My lords? The orcs have all been killed. Those that have run are being tracked by some of the patrol."

Elrohir nodded his approval. "Good. Get the wounded on horses, as well as any survivors. Take them to Rivendell; it's the least we can do… Bury the dead and burn the orcs. Be sure to bury Gilraen and Arathorn together… We have business to carry out. We will meet you at Imladris."

"Yes, My Lord" The elf responded. Turning around, he sprinted back, ready to carry out his orders.

Elladan looked into the child's wide gray eyes. Aragorn stared back in wonder at the fair face in front of him. "So… You are son of Arathorn and Gilraen, last heir of Isildur, and more than likely the only hope for mankind..."

Estel suddenly squealed, startling Elladan. Aragorn started wriggling around until his hand gripped a large chunk of Elladan's hair. He yanked it. Hard. Squealing with delight Aragorn smiled and started bouncing around again.

"Ouch! The little brat!" Elladan shouted in anger.

Elrohir began to laugh, doubling over as he held his sides. Elladan looked at his brother in shock, before beginning to chuckle as well. Then he realized that this was the first time either of them had genuinely smiled _or _laughed out of happiness since their mother had died. 'Maybe he is not just the only hope for mankind, but maybe he is also the beacon of light that our family so desperately needs right now….'

Elladan stared at the small human child in awe. How one so small could bring so much joy was beyond him. Suddenly the child stopped squirming, and tears began to form at the corner of his eyes.

"There, there little one! Everything will be okay!" Elladan awkwardly tried to reassure the child, but he had never dealt with small human children before. He had no idea what to do!

"Elrohir?..."

"Yes, brother dear?" Elrohir responded, still trying to contain his giggling.

"… What's that smell?..."

**A/N: Okay, well. That actually turned out longer than I thought it would. I know that this wasn't really quite part of the story, but I thought it was important to show the circumstances of how Estel came into the family. If you didn't like it, I'm sorry. We'll be back to the actual story next chapter! If you see anything that needs to be fixed, please let me know. And yes, I am aware that this is not how it actually happened. But it fit the story so deal with it. I am very sorry I haven't updated in forever, but I've been seriously busy. But now that it's summer, I'll be able to post more often! Thank you for reading all my lovely readers, reviewers and followers! Please review! I love reviews! Also, if you have any ideas for any other stories, feel free to share! I wasn't actually expecting anyone to read this, so it really makes me happy. Thanks everyone!**

Kat: What did I do to make you hate me? Lol, ha- I mean- love you ;)

Iluvahsoka2029: Thanks! I do my best. I hope you keep reading!

Jasperslittlesister: I'll have to think about that one. I'll try to put their POV in the next chapter or something. I'm glad you like the story though! :)

Pearl Bramble of Littlebottom: I'm glad! And I plan too. Thanks :)

Mezzie: Thanks! I'm glad you like it so much. I really appreciate it! I'll keep doing my best!

**THANK YOU TO ALL THE REVIEWERS!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own lord of the rings.**

**A/N: Please don't hate me! I'm REALLY sorry! I know I haven't updated in forever. We went on vacation, and I didn't bring my laptop. Sorry :( I also had writers cube. So, I did what any other person would do: Add Legolas to the story! Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Also, thanks to all my followers and favoriters! You all get cookies!**

A Child's Hurt

Chapter 4: Legolas

Legolas, son of King Thranduil, and prince of Mirkwood, took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air. Once he finished crossing the Misty Mountains, it would be an easy trip to get to Rivendell. He just had to cross the plains and pass through the forest.

His father had finally allowed Legolas make the much anticipated trip to Rivendell. Ever since the messenger came to Mirkwood with word that Lord Elrond of Rivendell had accepted a human fosterling, the young prince had been eager to go and meet him. The messenger did not bring much other information other than the child's parents had been killed in an orc attack. But as prince, his duties had prevented him from going previously. Now he was finally going.

Legolas continued on, leading his horse; a large, dark bay stallion, whom he had named Azair. They continued down the mountain trail. Legolas hoped to reach the bottom of the mountain by nightfall.

From his vantage point on the mountain, Legolas could see the rolling plains beyond the mountain, and beyond that, the forest. If he was lucky, and didn't meet any complications, he would reach Rivendell in three days time. Hopefully.

"What do ya think, boys!?" The orc right in front of Estel shouted, showing of his rotten teeth and grisly leer. Estel gulped, wide eyed.

"Let's eat 'im!" One of the orcs roared over the yelling of the crowd. There were several grunts of agreement. Estel gulped visibly. They were going to eat him. They were going to eat him. They are going to eat him.

Estel couldn't concentrate on what the orcs were saying. He couldn't think. He couldn't feel. He was simply numb. Numb all over.

Eventually, the orcs finish their arguing and grab Estel roughly by the arm.

"Get up." Estel just sat there, disoriented.

"I said get up, maggot!" The orc yelled, hitting Estel in the shoulder with the flat part of his sword. On impact, he fell to the ground, letting out a small cry. The orc growled in annoyance, kicking Estel in the ribs. He was momentarily blinded as a hot, white light flashed through his head. The orc continued beating him, and Estel slowly subdued to the blackness that was pushing more and more insistently.

**A/N: Once again, sorry for disappearing. I just wanted to update to let you all know I was alive. Sorry it's so short. I had a lot of trouble writing these past couple of weeks, but I promise I will NEVAH make you wait that long for a chapter ever again. Also, ideas are welcome! I have a general idea where I want this to go, but PM me if you have any thoughts/suggestions!**

**-Ez**


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